39 - montreal spice station

last weekend i finally checked out the new Spice Station in Montreal's mile end neighbourhood, right next door to one of my favourite local shops, Arterie Boutique & Friperie (how can i not love it? we do, afterall, share the same artful name!). the gourmet shop, which originated in Silver Lake, California, offers a stunning array of carefully selected and blended herbs, spices, chiles, salts, sugars, and teas from around the world, displayed in large apothecary jars on floor-to-ceiling shelves made from relcaimed wood. warm and inviting, the mix of colours, textures, and aromas tantalizes the senses and opens up a world of possibilities.

i came home with only a small selection based primarily on what we were preparing for dinner: whole pink peppercorns, first friday fish blend (a fish seasoning made with organic dill pollen), cinnamon sugar, and sherwood forest herbal tea.

but i am eager to try some of their chiles (there were so many to choose from!), whole black lime, harissa blend, himalayan pink salt, bali coconut lime salt, french lavender, sassafras leaves (used to make root beer), cinnamon saigon, raspberry sugar, and bourbon vanilla rooibos bush tea, among so many others.

or how about this cooking with Julia quintessential french spice and herb set? it would make a wonderful gift, but is also a great way to get your Julia on!

sigh, i think i'm in culinary heaven. and if i've wet your appetite, you can order almost any of these and other delights from the Spice Station website.

38 - watercolour-esque

i have been wanting a watercolour-esque printed dress or skirt for awhile now. with only a vague idea of what i wanted in my head, i happily stumbled upon one in a local Montreal thrift store this weekend! not only are the muted green & dusty rose, thick cotton, and pleats gorgeous, but it's a perfect fit.

here's a collection of watercoloury goodness inspired by my new find: 

beachcombing and seaweed botanical watercolour prints by studio tuesday

watercolour petals dinnerware by artist Shelley Hesse for Anthropologie



watercolour save the date collaboration between love jenna and swiss cottage designs



Anthropologie Artist's Rendering Dress

watercolour note cards by rifle paper co.



hand painted silk inkblot coral tee by rachel rose

Louche Mollie watercolour dress from Joy

watercolour wedding invitations from the movements collection by artist Kristy Rice of Momental Designs

Rose lady fine art print of an original watercolour & gouach collage by Luci Everett (available in her print shop: paper soup).

37 - happy weekend: celebrating sisterhood

this weekend my older sister's childhood best friend, who is like a second sister to me, is coming to visit us in Montreal! we have so many fun things planned: dinner tonight at a sweet little thai restaurant; a morning excursion to the famous Jean Talon market, where we will gather local, seasonal foods for a Saturday evening home-cooked meal, wine, and martinis, followed by a girls' night out (there will be lots of dancing!); Tam Tams in the park Sunday morning; and of course, sunny daytime adventures and shopping at local shops in le plateau and mile end neighbourhoods, as well as a visit to Old Montreal. i think we might be a little ambititous in trying to squeeze TOO much in, but what matters is that we are spending long overdue girl time together.i can't wait!

the above photo of the three of us together was taken in September 2005 at an outdoor Jack Johnson concert in Toronto. so much has happened in our lives since then and we have all grown in different ways, but no matter what, we maintain a close and honest friendship.

to celelbrate our sisterhood, i hand-selected a bouquet of fresh flowers at the market this afternoon. it's waiting in the front entrance to greet our guest when she arrives this evening....

what are your weekend plans? what, if anything, are you celebrating this weekend? whatever your plans or whatever you end up doing, may your hearts be filled with love. 

36 - friday favourites: lazy lakeside summer days

fieldguided's new unbleached cotton 43rd parallel tote // linen shorts by Tsumori Chisato

MinxShop english lace shirt // circular loch ness photo by Marco Suarez

crochet necklace by kove // hand knit merino wool sweater from good night, day 

100% silk crepe de chine cedar dress from dace // day at camp original screen print by yellowlion

Scout & Catalogue cream lace and leather clutch // bows and braid lace tank from Dove Tree

35 - love at first sight: rosemary milner

after catching a glimpse of her work on I go by Katie, i immediately fell in love with Rosemary Milner, a delightful printed textile designer and recent graduate of Leeds College of Art in England. taking inspiration from historical narratives and naturalistic imagery, she employs traditional methods of printing and production such as hand-etching, hand-stitching, lino illustration, and silk-screening to produce the most wonderful designs for interior papers and textiles. her collection of wallpaper, fabric, books, and embroidery abound with charming images of woodland creatures and British flora & fauna in muted colours and subtle textures. 

i particularly love her embroidery and wallpaper collections, where her quintessential style combining hand-stitched motifs, vintage notions, and found artefacts together with her love of tradition and craft is most apparent. they remind me of classic children's books, nineteenth century botanical illustrations, museum collections, rural countrysides, and nature walks....

whimsical, nostalgic, traditional, playful, deeply imaginative, lighthearted, and inspired by nature -- what better way to compose a subtle but charming interior?

(via I go by Katie, as seen on decor8).

images: Rosemary Milner

34 - it really is august

i am still in disbelief that it is August. where did the summer go? not to worry my friends, it isn't over yet! and what a better reminder that warm sunny skies and refreshing summer days are still upon us than this gorgeous desktop calendar from London-based illustrator Christiane Engel. it makes me endlessly happy....

August is quite possibly my favourite month.
both my mom's and andrew's birthdays are in August.
andrew and i are planning our wedding for the long weekend in August 2012.
August is a good month for celebrations and end of summer relaxation!

visit Christine's blog to download her lovely August calendar. 

33 - featured artist: kate macdowell

American artist Kate MacDowell combines human, animal, and plant forms with art historical and mythological references to explore our increasingly fraught relationship with the natural world. at once strangely beautiful and deeply disturbing, her meticulously hand-sculpted works in porcelain evoke the uneasy tension between our romantic ideal of being united with nature, and the impossibility of ever fully doing so, in part because of our devastating impact on the environment. decaying animal carcasses reveal inner structures comprised of anthropomorphic anatomical forms; an outstretched arm reminiscent of Michelangelo's iconic image of the hand of God giving live to Adam seemingly longs for a union with nature; luminous human organs radiate with an uncanny juxtaposition of human and plant or animal life; animals equipped with safety gear attempt to protect themselves from man-made environmental threats, while for others it is already too late. 

intricately preserved in porcelain, these part human/part natural specimens attest to our intimately bound relationships with one another. at the same time, the inherent fragility of the porcelain gestures to the impermanence and vulnerability not only of endangered animals and ecosystems, but also of our own existence. with an acute sensitivity and awareness, the artist brings this disquieting relationship to life.

i love everything about Kate's work: her vision, craftsmanship, aesthetic, thoughtfulness, astuteness, and of course, her choice and use of material. i couldn't think of a better artist to start off a new featured artist series.

all images copyright Kate MacDowell.

32 - glimpses from my long weekend

top to bottom: my new vicki blouse from Canadian dace, which arrived just in time for me to take with me on my weekend getaway to visit andrew (p.s. dace, you're amazing!); vintage silver owl necklace, discovered in a vintage shop in Ottawa; a collection of some of my favourite shots from heather's oh-so-beautiful garden (this is what the garden looks like in August, which is when andrew and i plan to get married next year!); andrew proudly holding his big smallmouth bass, a nice catch from the St. Lawrence river. he truly is a fisherman.